The Sky Is The Limit
by Killah1091
Summary: Oerba Lea Sky was only 13 when the unthinkable happened. His life was turned upside-down in an instant, but at the orphanage, bonds with two young girls form. As they learn and grow, they unknowingly prepare for destiny. Contains an OC, is FangVanilleOC-centric, eventual FangxOC. Pre-War of Transgression Era. I'm bad at summaries.
1. The Accident and the Aftermath

***A/N: **Hi all! This is my first-ever published chapter of a fanfiction. It'll be focusing on Fang, Vanille, and my OC, set prior to the War of Transgression, starting during the time that Fang and Vanille were in the orphanage. I thought the orphanage setting needed some fanfic love. There is a pairing (Fang x OC) planned, but it'll happen gradually, and we won't jump right into it. I think that makes it more real. I plan for this to be a somewhat lengthy fanfic, although who knows. By all means, R&R, and if you find any typos, or are confused about anything, let me know either by review or PM! I'd also love some feedback as I'm relatively new to writing creatively, besides a couple senior writing assignments. Be gentle though :)

Disclaimer: Square Enix owns Final Fantasy XIII. I use the characters for my, and your, enjoyment only. Thanks to them for such a great game.

* * *

**1. The Accident and the Aftermath**

Oerba Lea Sky checked his trap for a third time, wanting to be sure the line was set just so. The various components to the trap were a birthday present from his parents for his 13th birthday only last week. The rope was the highest quality trapping rope in Oerba, maybe in all of Gran Pulse.

Sky's father, Oerba Lea Connor was one of Oerba's best hunters, despite not being from the Yun clan of hunters. So honored was Connor that the Yuns made him a leader of a hunting pack at the relatively young age of 25. However, a routine hunting trip to clear two small Behemoths out turned into tragedy as they were ambushed by a Behemoth King. The sawblade of the Behemoth King caught Connor by surprise and severed his Achilles tendon, as well as shattering the bone. It never healed properly, and thus Connor became a combat instructor and a trapper, his hunting days ended prematurely. He passed this knowledge on to Sky at a young age.

* * *

I shook my sweaty bangs off of my forehead. It was only 8 in the morning, and it was already hot and humid.

_What am I going to do when noon hits?_

I'm not one for working on hot days. I'd rather be playing ball with friends, or swimming in the cool lake of Oerba. Luckily for me, work doesn't start until later in the day, and luckily again, it's not typical field work. I'm going to help my dad clear out a group of small flan that have taken up residence outside of town. Now that I'm 13, I can hunt outside of the city limits.

The plants rustle behind me, and I turn to see my mother. "Sky, breakfast is ready. You have to eat well before you go out on your first big hunt with Dad."

I turn around with a groan. "Five more minutes Mom? I'm almost done here and I really want to get this set."

Mom smiled at me. "Alright," she said as she turned back to the path, "five minutes."

I finish checking the trap, and it finally holds up to my rigorous standard. I'm somewhat of a perfectionist when it comes to trap building. I leave bait scattered around the area, then stand up and stretch my back. Stiff from kneeling for a time, it complains by cracking loudly. Suddenly, I hear an explosion from the direction of my house.

_What was that?_

I drop all my tools and take off at a dead sprint back down the path. It had rained the night before, and the logs and ground were slick with mud. Leaping over a fallen tree, I landed on a mossy stone and slipped, coming down hard on my side and whipping my head into the earth. I scramble to my feet and brush dirt and leaves from my hair as I sprint around the last bend to my house.

_I smell smoke..._

Nothing could have prepared me for the sight that awaited me on the other side, and it is a sight that will haunt me for the rest of my life. My house was engulfed in flames, the roof already beginning to cave in.

I don't know how I ended up on the ground in front of the door to my house, yelling for my parents, tears running like a river down my cheeks, looking for any sign that they were somehow, impossibly, alive. The wind gusted, blowing the smoke around, and that gave me a glimpse into the house that I wish I never had. Two bodies, charred, lying a few feet apart, reaching out for each other's hand.

I screamed then, knowing the truth. "WHY!" I yelled incoherently, over and over again, in between sobs and gasps for air.

I vaguely hear pounding footsteps behind me, men come to put the fire out, but for me? Too late. The damage was done, and my life as I knew it was over.

Gentle hands picked me up and moved me back from the burning house, murmuring comforting things to me, but I heard none of it. I forced my gaze to the conflagration one last time, and saw a white owl fly out of the chimney and up to the sky, which ironically was a beautiful, sunny blue, in mockingly direct contrast to what had just occurred.

* * *

"Fang? Vanille?" The two girls spun around on the bench to face the matron of the Oerba Orphanage.

"Yes Mrs. Kai?" Both girls echoed each other as they sat at lunch.

"After you two are done eating, please come by my office."

Fang, as was typical, immediately became defensive. "What did we do?"

"It's nothing like that, girls. You have a new roommate that I'd like you to meet, and show to your room." Mrs. Kai smiled, and headed further up the table, chatting with some other orphans.

"Oooh! I wonder who she is!" Vanille exclaimed excitedly. She was nearly 10 years old.

Fang shook her head. As she was 13, she took the responsible, older 'sister' route. "Vanille, whoever it is probably ain't as excited as you are. Remember, their mommy or daddy might've just died. You gotta calm down."

Vanille sobered instantly, looking down to the floor. "Sorry…but it'll be nice to have another roommate, won't it? We haven't had one yet."

Fang smiled at her. "Sure it will, 'Nille. We'll be best friends in no time."

Fang was orphaned at the age of 5, and given her own room in the orphanage, as all the other rooms had their quota of three children. She wasn't alone for long, however. Vanille came only a few short weeks after, little more than 2 years old. The two of them grew very close as they went through their younger years, and became as close as true sisters. For this reason, and others, which will be addressed when the time is right, they were kept in their own two-person room, while others gained a third roommate.

_I wonder why they're giving us a roommate now, _Fang wondered as her smile dropped. _Could it be…no, probably just running out of rooms. Don't start thinking about that now._

The girls finished eating and stood up from the table. "Alright Vanille, time to be strong for whoever it is. Ya know they're gonna be sad, so no cryin', ok?" Fang hugged Vanille, who responded with a nod and a "Yup! Let's go!" _That's Vanille,_ thought Fang, _always perky._

They walked hand in hand down to Mrs. Kai's office. "You ready?" asked Fang. Vanille nodded again, and Fang knocked on the door.

"Come in."

Fang opened the door and saw the matron sitting at her desk. She looked around, but didn't see anyone else. "Where is she?" asked Vanille.

Mrs. Kai smiled. "**He** is eating, but he should be done any time now. It's been a very difficult morning for him, so please be considerate like I know you can be."

"What's his name, Mrs. Kai?"

"I'll introduce him when he gets here, Vanille." A knock was heard at the side door to the office, and the matron moved to open the door. She ushered in a boy that looked to be about Fang's age, with unruly blonde hair. That was all Fang could see of him, as he held his head down, looking at the ground. _He looks sadder than anyone I've ever seen._

"Girls," the matron said quietly, "this is Oerba Lea Sky. His parents passed away just this morning, and he'll be staying with you two in your room." Sky looked up from the floor uncertainly, and locked eyes with Fang first, then Vanille. The pain Fang saw in his eyes was almost pouring out in tears, although he was holding them in for now. "I'll give you some time to introduce yourselves, and then you can show Sky to your room. The matron smiled as she left, giving Sky a comforting pat on the shoulder.

Fang swallowed and looked at Sky. "Umm, my name is Oerba Yun Fang, and this is my little sister Oerba Dia Vanille. I'm 13, an' she's almost 10." Vanille nodded with a smile as Fang mentioned her, and waved.

Sky smiled sadly and spoke for the first time. "Hi guys, I'm Sky. I actually just turned 13 a week ago." Sky's voice cracked as he finished the sentence, and he sniffed loudly. "Sorry…I've had a rough day," he said as he fought back tears. His voice was slightly hoarse, as if he'd been yelling all day.

Fang surprised herself then as she walked forward and put a hand on his shoulder. _I'm no good at this,_ she thought, _but here goes._ "Hey," she said gently, as Sky looked up at her face, tears glistening in his eyes. "It's ok if you gotta cry. Sometimes you have to just let it out."

Vanille then tore past Fang with a sniff and launched herself into Sky's midsection, hugging him for all she was worth. Sky flinched at the sudden contact, but hugged the little girl back. _Poor thing, _Fang thought, _she couldn't ever stand to see others cry. Always gets her goin' too._ Vanille sniffled into Sky's chest, and said "It's ok. We're here and we'll help you."

The boy looked out at nothing, and Fang saw a solitary tear fall down his cheek. She leaned in and wiped it away with her finger before pulling them both into an embrace. "We've both gone through it already. We know how hard it is," she said quietly, rubbing his back, "And if you ever need to talk, or just need someone to be there for ya, we'll be there. We're like family here." She felt her own barriers begin to tremble, and her eyes began to water. Pinching her eyes closed, Fang fought the urge to cry. _ I gotta be strong. I can't start cryin' like a little girl in front of him._

She felt Sky shake once, and silent tears began falling down his face. She and Vanille kept holding him until he calmed.

"You ok?" Fang asked.

"No. I just miss them so much…ALREADY." Sky squeezed the last word out through gritted teeth. "Why…" He trailed off.

Suddenly Fang lost it. Tears sprang to her eyes as she hugged him and Vanille closer. "I know, I know," she repeated as she began crying. "I'm sorry," she said to Sky as she screwed her eyes shut. "I didn't wanna cry…"

Now it was Sky and Vanille's turn to hold Fang until she slowed her sobs.

"We'll get through this together. I promise." Vanille smiled at the two older children as she spoke. "We'll always have each other."

The three of them stood there for a long time, forging the beginning of a new, very powerful bond.

* * *

***A/N: **Well, there it is. I had this stewing in my head for a long time, and finally got around to typing it up. I'm busy with work most days (like you care what I do with my time lol), but I will try to update in a somewhat timely manner. The next few chapters I have laid out in my head already, so they should move quicker. R&R please!


	2. Building Blocks

***A/N:** This is a shorter chapter, with quite a bit of dialogue. Tbis chapter was necessary to set the stage for the rest of the story. Hope you enjoy!

* * *

**2. Building Blocks**

"This is our room!"

Sky looked at the door from the hall. The smell of the orphanage, rich cedar mixed with the scent of Gran Pulse itself, earthy and lush, filled his nostrils. _Home always smelled like this._ Vanille opened the door after her exclamation and bounded in. Three beds with wooden frames sat against the far wall. The rightmost one looked to be unused, while the left side of the room was decorated with flowers and other girly decorations.

"Vanille's side?" Sky nodded towards the left with a small smile. Fang nodded with a smile of her own.

"My bed's in the middle," she said. "You get the one on the end without all Vanille's floral décor."

The room was a large rectangular shape, with the beds against the long wall. There was enough space to fit more beds, but the orphanage favored comfort over cramped living spaces. Sky walked over to his bed. His bag dropped off of his shoulder onto the chest placed at the foot of the bed. Oerba Lake shone with the sun's reflection as Sky looked out the long window that spanned the three beds. He stayed there a few moments, silent, as Fang and Vanille watched.

Floorboards creaked softly as Fang moved forward to Sky, and joined him at the window. "Beautiful, huh?" she offered quietly as she tilted her head towards Sky.

"Yup. My house wasn't far from the lake either. Through those woods, over there." He pointed across the lake. "Spent lots of time there." Sky turned towards Fang a bit, and suddenly the tone of the conversation changed. "How did you deal with coming here?"

Fang was taken aback by the question. "Well, I was only 5, so I cried a lot, but mostly, I talked to the matron. She helped me realize that life wasn't over, ya know? As bad as it seems, Sky, you still got reasons to be happy and enjoy life. And after awhile, I found a reason," Fang smiled back at the red-haired girl who was lying across her bed, reading a book. "Just weeks after I came, I got Vanille as a roommate, and she needed care. It got my mind off of things, and that was that."

Sky turned from the window and lay down on his bed. "Thanks," he said. "I'll think about that too, then."

"Whenever you want to talk about something, me an' Van will be there, 'kay?"

"Sounds good." He paused, then smirked. "Where are the bathrooms? I need t-"

"Woah!" Vanille interjected. "TMI!"

Fang grinned. "Down the hall, that way," she said, gesturing with a flick of her wrist.

* * *

_Later that night…_

"Fang?" Sky whispered after they had laid in bed for some time, seeking but never quite finding elusive sleep.

"Yea?"

"I feel like I need to tell someone."

"Tell someone what? Oh. About…"

"It's eating me up inside," Sky said in a pained voice.

Fang sat up and took a small step over to the side of Sky's bed, where she sat down, looking down at him. Sky's hands rose up to his face, and he ran his fingers through his hair. Moonlight illuminated the room as Fang spoke. "Whenever you're ready. Don't tell me until you're sure you want to."

The bed shook as Vanille sat down as well. "Couldn't sleep either," she said in answer to the looks from both Fang and Sky.

"You should be in b-…never mind." Fang shrugged her shoulders. _Should've known Vanille wouldn't miss this. She always could, I dunno, 'sense' emotion._

"You really want to hear this, Vanille?" Sky looked at her as she tapped her chin thoughtfully.

"Yep. I wanna help, Sky."

A wistful smile bent his lips for the briefest of moments before it was swept away by memories, memories like a raging flood. He began relating the story of this morning. "I was setting traps…"

When the fateful tale ended, Fang's jaw was agape. She shared a quick glance with Vanille, whose worried eyes showed Fang that she was thinking the same thing. Sky's hands had started shaking partway through the telling, and Fang and Vanille each held one, offering a silent help as he struggled with his memory.

"I just have one question," Fang said gently. "Do you remember seeing a white owl anywhere near the…house?" She worried her bottom lip with her teeth as he inhaled and replied.

"Yea," Sky said despondently. "He flew around the house and then up, mocking me, it seemed."

Vanille gasped and let go of Sky's hand as both hands flew to her mouth. She made a prayer symbol with the index and pinky finger of each hand and bowed her head. Fang merely shook her own head and looked down. "Sky, I don't know how to tell you this, but…that story, was near _identical_ to me and Vanille's. The explosion when we weren't there, even the owl. And we both remember the owl. Or, well, Vanille was told about it later. Those who came and helped her noticed it too."

"It could just be a coincidence, right?" Vanille looked worried sick as she tried to explain away the shocking similarities in their situations. "I mean owls are everywhere and everyone knows owls are strange birds and-" She stopped to take a calming breath. _What could this mean?_

Fang was quiet during as Vanille continued to ramble nervously. _Could this be some kinda sign or omen? The first roommate we get just happens to have lost his parents in almost the same way we did._ She spaced out as she sat thinking, watching Sky. He seemed, I don't know, scared? Not the right word. Worried would be more accurate. _There's definitely a lot to think about._

Sky was worried, true, but also very tired. "Let's sleep on it. If we have any ideas, we can talk about 'em tomorrow, hmm?"

Vanille pouted. "I'm scared to sleep alone now. Can we all sleep together? Please?"

Fang forced a smile for Vanille as she and Sky agreed, but inside she was still shaken. _What could be going on?_ The three young orphans, bound now again by another thread, fell asleep that night, each wondering what the future would hold, haunted by nightmares of their lost parents and that white owl flying through it all.

* * *

***A/N:** The next chapter will have a bit of action in it. Think something akin to P.E. class, only Oerba-style. This chapter took much longer to write than the first did, and it's about half the length. Who knows why. I have a tough time with dialogue sometimes.

If you enjoyed, or even if you didn't, drop a review and let me know what you liked/didn't like. Constructive criticism as well as simple comments are appreciated.


	3. Training Day

***A/N: **Here's chapter 3...sat down during my Tigers game and cranked this bad boy out. The first half was slower, but once a bit of action came in it seemed to flow better. Let me know what parts I can improve on, or what you like! Read/Review if you wish.

Also, thanks to those who've put this fic on alert/favorite. That kind of stuff helps me know that people are enjoying it, and gets me writing.

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**3****. Training Day**

Vanille jumped on a sleeping Fang. "It's training day! Why aren't you up?"

Fang sat straight up, as if yanked by the hair. "That's right! We gotta wake up Sky!"

Training Day was a day where the orphans were shown how to do practical things. Things like trapping, hunting, fighting, medicine; all of the things that Oerbans were expected to know, but that orphans wouldn't have the opportunity to learn from their parents. It was held on the first day of every month. As the orphans improved, more difficult techniques and challenges were presented.

Fang stretched and groaned as she stood up and went to her dresser to find her training clothes. Meanwhile, Vanille also jumped up and down on Sky's bed. "Unhnn," Sky moaned as he rubbed his eyes. "What time is it? The sun's barely up!"

Fang walked over and sat down on the edge of the bed. As she pulled on her sandals, she explained what Training Day was. "Ya gotta go to the hunting and fighting classes!" She finished excitedly. "I can show you how to do it all," she teased.

* * *

After breakfast, the three friends headed south of Oerba with the rest of the kids. There were wooded areas as well as open fields for the various classes to take place. Vanille hugged Fang and Sky and headed off to attend classes with her friend Ariel, who was her own age, and was also of the Dia tribe. The Dias were typically regarded as the healers of Oerba.

Fang grinned as Vanille skipped off. She gestured for Sky to follow her. Everyone started the day with a group yoga session at dawn to warm the body up and stretch out. Sky, having never done yoga at home, was awkward throughout the first couple of salutation and vinyasa sequences, but quickly caught on as they worked through a set of Warrior poses. Afterward, Sky, sweating lightly in the early morning sun, joined Fang as she jogged to the first station, Martial Arts.

"They'll start you out with the basics," Fang told Sky, after he confided that he had never done anything like this. True to her word, Sky was instructed in footwork and breathing before being shown some basic punching and kicking routines. This served as warming up for Fang, who helped Sky practice his punches by holding a padded target. Sky was fast. Punches and kicks were driven quickly to their intended target, each accompanied by a swift exhale and the thud of the contact with the target.

The next part of Martial Arts consisted of grappling and throws. The instructor made sure to emphasize that when in combat, the advantage quickly moves to the one who can control the fight. Takedowns, he said, were the quickest way to do that. Fang and Sky paired up, and Fang quickly grabbed his shoulders, planted her right leg behind Sky's right leg and shoved him down over her thigh. She followed and landed smoothly on his stomach, pinning his arms above his head.

"No fair!" Sky protested. "I wasn't ready!"

Fang just smiled, but was taken by surprise as Sky bucked his hips and smoothly rose to his feet with a smirk. "Can't keep me down, can ya?"

* * *

_Ranged Weapons Training_. The sign prefaced a large field with targets scattered across the grasses. Sky groaned. _Really?_ "I'm pretty sure you're going to all the stations I've never done just so you can beat me," he complained.

"I'm not that good either," Fang said. "I'm alright, but nothing special." She grinned.

Archery was first. Fang selected a bow and began sighting her arrows. Sky wandered through the bows, stretching some, and finally selecting one that felt right. He grabbed an arrow, and felt Fang's hand on his. "Not that one," she instructed. "I already checked that one and it's bad. You gotta look down the arrow, check if it's straight. Then check the fletchings to see if they look right." She searched through the quivers for good ones with him, and eventually Sky found a small quiver-full of straight arrows.

The instructor worked with him for nearly 20 minutes, and the best he could say was that he occasionally hit the target. Fang, on the other hand, found the center of the targets from up to 20 yards. _She's a liar, _Sky thought with a smile. _She's pro._

Throwing blades went better for Sky, although Fang had much more practice and excelled once again.

Walking to Trapping, Fang said, "You'll kick my ass in this one. I can't make knots."

"Yea," Sky replied, "Trapping is kind of what I do. My dad taught me everything about it. I'm going to beat you in something!" he said, giving her a playful shove.

The instructor was overjoyed to find someone so skilled at trapping already. "How do you know so much about this?" he asked.

Sky smiled as he looked down. "My dad was Oerba Lea Connor. He taught me everything I know."

"Ah, yes. Connor was a great hunter, trapper, and leader, but most of all, a great man. I'm sorry for your loss."

"Thanks, sir."

Fang struggled initially, and inwardly grumbled at the fact that Sky was far better than her at something. She was, naturally a very competitive girl. She smiled as she thought of the next station.

_CQC Weapons Training. _

Fang's weapon of choice was the two-sided lance. Sky smiled and selected a standard double-edged sword, small enough to be wielded quickly and one-handed, but still big enough to be able to deflect some hits from a bigger opponent. _Good thing Dad showed me a thing or two,_ thought Sky. The class went through forms to warm up, and then split into groups of two to practice sparring. The weapons were dulled, of course, so as not to harm any students too seriously. Direct hits would still hurt. That is how Oerba worked. Mistakes should punish the offender, so they would learn, and not make the same mistake again.

Sky was paired with a boy about his age by the name of Maiken. He had selected a long, slim rapier. He led in with a leaping stab at Sky's heart, which Sky parried just over his left shoulder. The lunge, however sudden, had left Maiken wide open. _That was easy._ Sky rapped him on his chest twice, not particularly powerfully, and the monitoring instructor whistled, signaling a stop to the spar. They came together and placed the backs of the first two fingers of the right hand to their own foreheads in salute, as is commonly done in Oerba as a show of respect.

Fang sauntered over with a cocky grin. "Let's go, yeah?"

Sky replied, "Bring it." He dropped into his fighting stance, left foot and left hand out front, sword held in his right hand across his body. Fang simply stood on the balls of her feet, spinning her lance over her head before bringing it down across her body into a ready position.

Sky made the first move, feinting a lunge left before coming straight at her left side with a low slash. She adjusted quickly, blocking with the shaft of her lance and countering with the high end of the weapon, bringing it down at Sky's head. Sky, however, continued past Fang in a roll, evading the attack. He rolled to his feet and leapt back at Fang's left side, swinging the blade at her back. She ducked the attack but was forced to jump back as Sky came again from the other side. "You're fast!" Fang offered as she stepped back to appraise the situation.

"And you block everything."

Fang now went on the offensive. Her lance came up at Sky's abdomen, which he sidestepped. He had to whip his blade up to protect his head from the other end of her lance, which he continued to forget about. The collision of the weapons rattled Fang's wrists. _How'd he block that?_ She came at him again, this time in a high overhead slash down at his head. Sky spun out from underneath the slash and was able to catch Fang on the side with a glancing swing as he evaded the powerful blow.

He came at her quickly then. Slash after stab after slash flew all around Fang, and all were parried or blocked by her lance. She countered then, after a firm block nearly knocked the blade out of Sky's hand, with a shot to Sky's left shoulder. She reprised her defensive role for the next few minutes, and as they were each winded by now, they mutually ended the fight by stepping back with hands on knees, breathing heavily.

Sky smiled widely, rubbing his shoulder, as he walked over to Fang and hugged her. She returned the hug and smiled. "That was fun," she said. "We should do that more often."

It was then that they realized that most of the kids that were nearby had been watching. As they walked to lunch, they were stopped by kid after kid who each gushed about the fight. After Sky found his way to their normal seat at a corner table in the dining area, Vanille hugged him and said, "Everyone's talking about you and Fang! I wish I could've seen it!"

Sky mussed her hair as he sat down and began to eat. "It wasn't thaaaat cool," he said winking at Fang.

"Skyyyy," Vanille whined, "quit being so modest. All the _girls_ are looking at you too…" she said with a cheeky smile.

"Oh whatever," Sky said, going back to his food.

"No really! Ava over there is totally checking you out!"

"Vanille, quit it," Fang said, "He doesn't want to talk about girls now, he's eating."

Sky looked at Fang with a 'thanks' expression, and kept eating.

* * *

***A/N:** Lemme know if there are any mistakes...Fun Facts: The next chapter will take place a couple of years into the future, and possibly begin to introduce the FangxSky relationship a bit. After that chapter, we'll be moving quicker through the younger days, moving towards the opening of the War of Transgression and the actual plot.


	4. When Two Are One

***A/N: **Wow. It's been awhile. What's up? So my life got crazy busy there for awhile, and to be honest, fanfiction fell off of the map for me for quite sometime. Brainstorming with Pulse99 about his fics (Go read them. Fantastic writing.) got me back here, and I realized I had about a third of this chapter written on my computer. This chapter ended up being twice as long as most of the other chapters, and I think it's a decent one. As always, read and review if you like. Let me know what you like/don't like, and what I can improve on. Bonus points if you know the chapter title reference. It applies somewhat to this chapter.

* * *

**4. When Two Are One**

Sky and Fang were chosen by the Yun clan to begin formal training with the experienced hunters of the Oerba. They began training with real weapons, not protected sparring weapons. Sky continued to learn the sword, while Fang stuck with her dual-bladed lance.

When a hunting party went out on a job that was to be routine, one student was sent with the party to observe, learn, and assist the party in any way possible. Some medic students came along to practice their craft, but mostly the students were aspiring hunters. The hunting students would often be directed to take an easy mark, or to protect the back of another hunter.

Sky excelled in his early training sessions. Given that his father, and now the Yun hunters, had taught him how to fight most every creature that populated the area around Oerba, he instinctively knew the best way to go about hunting. The monsters that they dealt with were mostly flan, small goblins, or imps.

After five successful training sessions, Sky was allowed to choose a sword to keep as his own. It was to be cleaned every day, and was subject to random inspection, but it was his. Fang got hers just a few days later, and they regularly spent hours at night comparing their weapons and their hunt experiences.

When a student reached the age of 15, they were able to hunt alone. Whether or not they were **allowed** to was dependent upon the judgment of the hunters.

_We now jump forward to that very age for Sky and Fang._

"Hey Sky!"

"Ugh…What Fang?" Sky rolled over to look at her bed. "You know it's Saturday. I'm tired…an' it's early."

"Don't be so grumpy. I was just gonna ask ya if you heard anything about real hunts yet."

This woke Sky up a bit, as hunting without Yun clan supervision was the one thing he was looking forward to the most. "Nothing," he said with a slight frown. "You'd think it'll be soon, though. We're top of the class."

"Brag about it some more!" Vanille countered from the other side of Fang. "I'm trying to sleep."

Sky threw a pillow at her and was rewarded with a yelp for his efforts.

"Maybe it'll be today," Fang said. She grinned as she got up and grabbed his pillow. "You should wake up." _Thwack._

"Enough with the pillow!" Vanille was now awake, awake and unhappy.

* * *

_Screams._

Sky's head jerked up from the grass near the orphanage that he had been napping in. "What was that?"

Fang and Vanille looked around. A young boy came sprinting towards the orphanage, all out of breath. He was yelling something about a gorgonopsid.

"Hold on, what's wrong!" Fang grabbed the boy as he ran by.

"Gorgonopsid…in the," he panted. "In the…playground."

"What?!" Fang looked at Sky. _We've gotta do it. _Unseen communication passed between the two of them.

Vanille looked at the glance Sky and Fang shared and deduced their plan. "Ohhh no you don't. We need to go find some adults quick. You guys are not gonna go fight a gorgonopsid!"

"Vanille," Sky responded urgently, "the adults here aren't fighters! We're as close as the orphanage has. I'll be right back, Fang." He took off like a flash of lightning, leaping over a fence and clambering up through the second floor window into their room. His sword and Fang's lance lay at the feet of their respective beds, and he grabbed them both. Sky slid out the window, hit the ground rolling and came up. He tossed Fang's lance to her and they both sprinted off towards the playground. Vanille followed behind slowly, comforting the young boy.

As they approached the playground, they could see children on the top of all the playground equipment. Then, they heard growling from the other side of the play house.

"Alright, Fang, what's the plan?"

"I'll draw its attention, and you go for a couple of hamstrings. Then hopefully we'll finish 'er off."

"You sure?" Sky looked worriedly at her. "You sure you can hold off that thing alone? It's huge!"

"Just do your part quick!" Fang said. Nerves were evident in her voice, and Sky laid a hand on her shoulder.

"Let's go. You know we can do it. Top of the class, remember?" He smiled at her and they looked up to see the gorgonopsid rounding the corner, spying them for the first time. It growled loudly, probably thinking of fresh meat.

"Ah shit!" Sky yelled as it charged. "Look out!" He and Fang rolled to separate sides as the feral wolf-like creature tried to run them down. Fang struck out with her lance as it charged past them, successfully gaining its undivided attention for now. Sky came up fluidly out of his roll and saw the gorgonopsid advancing on Fang. He stealthily advanced behind the creature and leapt and extended toward the legs of the creature. At that exact time, it leapt at Fang, slashing with its left claw. Fang blocked the blow and spun out of the way, thrusting at it with the other end of the lance.

Her stab caught the feral wolf a glancing blow in the chest. Sky slashed then at the hind legs, successfully cutting deep to the bone of the creature. It angrily spun around and bit at Sky. He ducked the bite and drove his sword up at the unprotected neck of the gorgonopsid. The blade penetrated deep into the jaw and through, up into the head. Sky looked at Fang with a big smile, splattered with gorgonopsid blood.

"YEA!" Fang yelled. The gorgonopsid, however, had other ideas. In its death throes, it roared and whipped its head back and forth, spraying blood, and hitting Sky full in the chest. He was knocked back a full three feet and he landed on his back with a cry.

Fang rushed forward. "You little piece of shit!" she yelled as she leapt high in the air and brought her lance down through the head of the gorgonopsid, impaling it into the ground. Wasting no time, she leapt over to where Sky lay, groaning. "Ya okay?"

Sky coughed. "Been better." He felt his chest for any wounds. Fang pushed his hands away and slowly pressed on various parts of his chest, checking for broken ribs.

"Anything hurt bad?" she asked.

"Nah. Just gonna be bruised I think."

She smiled, relieved. "We did it." She hugged him, and helped him up. "Here comes Vanille with some others. Time to explain why we went ahead without any help." She scratched her head sheepishly. "That was probably not a good idea."

"It worked, right? And we're all fine, especially the kids. That's the more important thing. Although Vanille is kind of scaring me."

Vanille's voice pierced the calm after the storm. "LOOK AT YOURSELVES! You're covered in blood! What were you thinking?! Are you okay?"

Sky grinned and waved. "Never better. None of the blood is ours, Vanille."

"Yea, and it never even touched me!" Fang countered.

"It's not my fault! I thought it was dead," Sky frowned.

Then, the orphanage heads came, with a few hunters in tow. Sky recognized one of his mentors from the hunts and smiled. "We're either in big trouble or we're getting a hunt," he whispered to Fang.

"Hopefully the latter."

The other hunter stepped forward. "Sky. Fang." He nodded at the two of them. "What happened here?"

Fang told the tale, careful to relate the reasons for their rash actions; there were young children in danger.

"You both know you aren't allowed to engage in hunting actions until you're approved for solo hunts," the hunter responded.

"We know, sir," Sky said. "We acted out of line, but we had good intentions. We didn't do it for fun or pride."

Fang jumped in. "It wasn't even hunting, really. More like protecting, yeah?" She smiled.

Sky's mentor stepped forward then. "Both of you are correct. We'd like to thank you for your quick thinking here today. Actually, I have a little message for the two of you from the Yun clan that you may be interested in. What happened here today has affirmed the decision in these letters. Please go back to your rooms before opening them." He paused and leaned in closer. "Congratulations. You deserve it," he said quietly.

* * *

"I can't believe it!"

"This is amazing!"

Fang tackled Sky in a hug and they fell back onto her bed. She laughed out loud. "We're gonna be hunting partners!" She stopped, staring into Sky's eyes and smiling.

Sky smiled back. "This just might be the best day of my life." He felt time slow then, as Fang whispered "Mine too,", and came closer. He became acutely aware of the scent of her, and that she was moving down towards him. Tilting his head up slightly, he met her halfway as their lips joined in a gentle kiss.

Sky and Fang jolted then as time suddenly resumed. Fang averted her gaze as she smiled. "Did that just happen?" She asked.

Embarrassed, Sky smiled uncertainly. "Yes?" He paused. "That was surprising."

Fang got off her bed and began to pace. "I'm sorry! I don't know what came over me, I was just so excited and it just happened…"

"Hey." Sky interrupted. "Don't worry. We were both excited. Just don't tell Vanille."

They laughed quietly. "So what does this mean for us?" Fang asked.

"I don't have the slightest clue," Sky said truthfully. "Let's wait and see?" he said with the hint of a smile. He stood, wrapped her in a hug and whispered, "And so you know, I liked it."

* * *

In the days after the gorgonopsid attack, the story of how Sky and Fang took it out spread throughout the orphanage. Many other young hunting trainees were jealous of the relative fame that the two of them had for their act, and that they were soon to be sent out on real hunts at the earliest possible age of 15. A few of them, looking for a way to strike at them in anger, decided to take action.

* * *

Sky laid on his stomach in the shade of a maple tree, doing homework. Fang sat against the trunk, reading a textbook. Neither of them were talking, and so the only sound was the rustling of the leaves in the wind, birds singing, and pages turning. It was a beautiful day, ironically enough, as what was about to happen would turn the day on its head.

"_Ahhhhhh! HEY!"_

A distant yell from a young female voice caught their attention. Fang jerked her head out of the book she was reading. "That sounded like Vanille…" They jumped up and took off in the direction of the yell.

More yells and commotion was heard around the corner of an old barn. As they rounded the corner and skidded to a stop, they saw Vanille being pushed around by a group of boys that Sky recognized from his classes. "What the hell is going on?" Sky yelled. "Vanille!"

The gang stopped their bullying for a moment, and the biggest one held Vanille tightly by an arm. "Oh yeah? What are you going to do? Kill us like you did the gorgonopsid?" He taunted.

Sky and Fang walked closer, step by step. "No. But we'll be takin' Vanille back. Ya can do this the easy way or the hard way. Your move," Fang said firmly.

"You kidding? There's five of us and two of you. You can't honestly think you can take us."

Sky grinned wildly. "Try us." He waved his hands in a "come on" gesture.

Mick, the brute, couldn't resist. He shoved Vanille at the smallest of their group. "Hold her. The four of us will take care of this."

Fang looked at Sky and nodded her head imperceptibly to the left. Sky grinned at her. "Yup." That was all that needed to be said. They shot at the group of four then. Fang leapt at the twosome on the left, while Sky went right. Sky had Mick and a small, fast kid who he wasn't familiar with.

* * *

_SKY_

I closed in quickly on Mick. Feinting high with an elbow, I instead whipped my other fist into his gut. While he was doubled over, I followed with a knee to the head which dropped him in a heap. Surprised by the ferocity of the attack, the other kid had hardly moved an inch, and suddenly it was one on one. I spared a glimpse at Fang. She delivered a strong kick to the midsection of the larger of her two assailants, and spun away from a counterpunch. "Doin' alright?" Sky yelled.

"Just grand."

"Great."

I refocused on my opponent. Suddenly he lunged at me, catching me by surprise. I tumbled to the ground, with him on top of me. A punch came down at me, but I caught the arm. Moving rapidly, I moved into a triangle choke hold, which involves trapping the arm and neck of an opponent in a leg triangle, and squeezing tightly. Triangles are very difficult to break free of, and this proved no different, as the boy was choked into unconsciousness.

At that moment, something rustling behind me told me to move. I rolled to one side, just as the boy that was holding Vanille snuck up behind me. Getting to my feet, I prepared for another fight, but at that moment, the voice of the matron boomed out.

"STOP THIS FOOLISHNESS THIS INSTANT." She rounded the corner with Vanille hiding behind her. Fang and her opponent quickly stepped apart, glaring daggers at one another. I stepped back and spun to face Mrs. Kai, and as soon as I did, I felt a blinding pain in my right ankle. I yelled out in pain and dropped to the ground, losing consciousness before I hit.

The boy who I had been fighting had stomped my ankle from behind, after an elder had given an order. An explicit order of this nature from an elder was not to be disobeyed in Oerba. The rest of the gang who were cognizant looked at him with horror in their eyes. They knew they were in deep shit.

* * *

_VANILLE_

"NO!" I sprinted away from Mrs. Kai and skidded on my knees at Sky's unconscious form. I heard Fang scream "You son of a bitch!", and turned to see the matron holding Fang back from attacking the boy who had done this. I quickly turn back to Sky, and check for a pulse. _Got it. Good._ My fingers move down to his ankle and gently feel the lump forming there. The skin is bruising and I see that swelling has already set in. _Oh Sky, this is all my fault. If I hadn't been so dumb and weak and got caught, you'd be fine, and no one would have to be hurt._

I collapse my head onto his side and start sobbing quietly.

* * *

_FANG_

I scream something at this coward, whoever he is, and start for him, but Mrs. Kai quickly grabbed me by the arm and held on tightly. I stop resisting, because, after all, it's the matron, but if looks could kill…this bastard would be shredded like a young flan meeting my lance.

Mrs. Kai spoke. "Jaice, you heard me tell you to stop." Her voice cut through the tense atmosphere. "Please don't deny it."

Jaice turned away.

"Go to my office, and don't you dare disobey me this time." She paused. "As for the rest of you, Vanille told me what happened. If any of you feel you have anything to add, please feel free to see me in my office. I'll be in contact with the four of you about your punishment. No arguments. Now get out of here."

I never before have had the urge to kill another human. Not until now.

I exhale loudly, trying to diffuse some of my rage, and kneel down next to a sobbing Vanille. I rub her back and pull her in for a quick hug. "Hey. It's not your fault. It's their fault. That damn Jaice." I muttered that last line under my breath. Pulling back, I notice that her tears have slowed. "Let's get him to the infirmary."

Mrs. Kai was checking him over, and suddenly he twitched and shook his head. I put my hands on his chest and held him down as he tried to rise. "Stay down ya crazy kid! Jaice just broke your ankle and you're trying to walk already…"

"Tell me what happened? All I remember was a blinding pain, then I passed out."

"Well that kid was Jaice," I said, "He stomped your ankle when you weren't lookin', after the matron said to stop. They're all in big trouble. Vanille thinks you might have a broken ankle, since it's swelled so much."

Sky's face dropped as he heard that. "But, we just got approved to hunt. I don't want to miss our first hunt."

"Don't get too ahead of ourselves. Let's just figure out what's wrong with ya first."

Mrs. Kai came over and asked, "Can you stand up? We can help you to the infirmary, or we can get people to carry you, if you like."

"Help me up? No one's carrying me," Sky said firmly. I smile at his masculine attitude. Reaching down, Mrs. Kai and I pull him up as he uses his good left foot for leverage. He grimaces as he comes to an upright position.

I slide my left arm around his back, and Vanille takes his left side. He rests his arms on our shoulders, and we take a tentative first couple of steps. He tenses and grips my shoulder but doesn't complain out loud.

"You gonna make it, Sky?" Vanille asked, concerned.

"Yea," Sky said tersely through gritted teeth. As we walked away towards the infirmary, Mrs. Kai called to us. "I'll meet you there. I need to take care of some business with the boys."

I nodded to her. "Thanks."

After a short time of silence, Sky stopped, looked at me and Vanille, and said, "Thanks guys."

"You're thanking me?!" Vanille exclaimed. "You're hurt because of me! Because I was too weak, and dumb, and got caught, an-"

Sky put a finger on her lips. "Shhh. I'd do it again for ya if you were in trouble. No regrets."

"But…"

"Uh uh uh. No buts."

I shiver. Butterflies flew in my stomach. _That was so sweet._ I unconsciously pull him closer to me. "Let's go. You need to get to the infirmary, Sky." _I need you to heal, and fast. And not just to hunt._ I left the last part unsaid. I didn't want him to know my true feelings. I don't typically wear them on my sleeve.

As we entered the infirmary doors, I laid my head on his shoulder and squeezed him tight again. "Promise you'll get better soon?" I ask.

He smiled at me then, and said quietly, "Only if you promise not to hunt solo without me."

* * *

***A/N: **There it is. My first 3000+ word chapter. Remember to review! :) I need to think about where this story will go exactly next, but I have a general idea. I'm not going to promise a date for an update, because I have no idea. But it'll come.

***UNRELATED:** DETROIT TIGERS - 2012 AL CENTRAL CHAMPS - ALCS


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